Device for treating cutaneous diseases.



F. RIGHTMIRE.

DEVICE FOR TREATING. CUTANEOUS DISEASES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 22, 1905.

943,894, Patented Dec. 21, 1909.

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FRANKLIN RIGHTMIRE, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY.

DEVICE FOR TREATING CUTANEOUS DISEASES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1909.

Application filed September 22, 1905. Serial No. 279,610.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN Rron'rnnm, residing at Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Treating Cutaneous Diseases, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to curative devices, and more especially to devices designed to be of service in treating certain diseases of the skin.

It has for one of its objects the provision of a protective covering for portions of the body affected with corns, warts, bunions, or other diseases of a similar nature.

Another object is to provide a device such that medicinal agents may be applied and maintained firmly upon the parts affected by diseases of the above character without liability of misplacement by friction of the clothing or arelative movement of the parts.

Another object is to provide a protective device of the above type characterized by increased simplicity and efficiency, coupled with cheapness of manufacture, and one which will be sanitary in all respects.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the device hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein is illustrated one of the various possible enibodiments of .my invention,l igure l is a view in perspective of a portion of a foot, showing an application thereof. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the inclosing protective casing. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the flanged cup. Fig. l is a sectional View on line a e of Fig. 3.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

Before entering into a description of the specific features of my invention, and as conducive to the clear understanding of certain of the objects thereof, it may here be noted that great difliculty is experienced in treating effectively cutaneous diseases, such as warts, corns, bunions, or other calloused portions of the skin, by reason of the frictional contact with the clothing, and such affections frequently occurring upon the joints, the relative movement of the parts renders the treatment especially diflicult to accomplish. The feet being more subject to diseases of this epidermal character, it has heretofore been practically impossible to provide means of efficient covering for the diseased parts capable of withstanding the tendency to be misplaced under the frictional contact of the foot-covering. In overcoming the above and other objections, I have found it desirable to provide a resilient, sanitary covering having a wide range of adjustability and of such construction as to maintain a medicinal agent firmly in place upon the diseased part. The above and other defects are remedied and various advantages secured in constructions of the nature of that hereinafter described.

Referring, now, to the drawing, 1 denotes a section of tubing, preferably cylindrical, and of suitable material, in the present instance rubber of any desired length or diameter. Cylinder 1 is provided with a plurality of apertures arranged somewhat irregularly thereabout, the purpose of which will be apparent hereinafter. A cup 3, having a flange l, is designed to co-act with cylinder 1. Cup 3 is also preferably made of rubber of a slightly harder and less elastic texture than that of which cylinder 1 is constructed, in order that it may assume and maintain a definite shape.

From the above description, together with the accompanying drawings, the method of use of my invention should be largely obvious. The same, however, is substantially as follows: For convenience of description it may be assumed that the part to be treated is a toe, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

' The cylinder is drawn over the toe, and being of a resilient substance such as rubber, will, by its elastic properties, be firmly held thereto. The cylinder is then, if necessary, revolved slightly or moved endwise until one of the openings therein is directly over the diseased part, which as herein shown is a corn. Cup 3 is then filled with absorbent cotton or other suitable substance capable of being impregnated with a medicinal agent, and after the medicine has been applied to the cotton, or other substance, the cup is placed under the cylinder and about the corn. This operation may be readily accomplished by grasping the edge of the cylinder and stretching the same while the cup is being inserted. The upwardly-projecting arched portion of the cup will enter the opening opposite the corn, and the edges of the opening will engage the flanged portion of the cup and maintain the same in position. If it should be desired to treat two or more corns on the same toe, the cylinder may be manipulated until one of the several openings is directly over each corn, when cups corresponding to the number of corns may be inserted, according to the manner hereinbefore described. Accordingly, it will be apparent that I have provided a device well adapted to achieve the objects of my invention, the parts being cheaply produced and durable and sanitary in use. By reason of the relatively large surface of the skin in contact with the cylinder and the tendency of the cylinder, on account of its resilient quality, to adhere thereto, coupled with the interlocking of the cup therewith, displacement by friction is practically impossible. The flange of the cup, being firmly held against the skin surrounding the diseased part, produces a substantially air-tight inclosure and prevents the evaporation of the medicinal agent contained therein. The several openings of the cylinder provide also an efficient means of ventilation. The device, is moreover, capable of use an indefi nite number of times, as it is only necessary that the parts be washed after use to place them in their original condition.

While I have shown and described my invention in the above relation, it is obvious that I am not limited to this nor to any other specific employment, as the same is capable of use in many other analogous relations. It is, moreover, obvious that my device is capable of being used advantageously without a medicinal agent of any kind, as the cup will afford an eflicient protection for the diseased parts, relieving them againstpressure and friction.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of my inven tion could be made without departing from the scope thereof, I intend that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limit mg sense.

I desire it also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention, which as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device of the class described, in combination, a tubular section of elastic material having therein a plurality of openings, said tubular section being adapted to be positioned about a portion of the body, and a flanged cup adapted to be inserted underneath a portion of said elastic material so as to interlock with said elastic tubular section.

2. In a device of the class described, in combination, a section of rubber tubing having therein a plurality of irregularly arranged openings, said tubing being adapted to be positioned about a portion of the body, and a flanged, substantially cup-shaped member adapted to be inserted between a portion of the body and said tubing, the convex portion of said cup-shaped member entering one of the openings in said tubing, the edges of said opening being adapted to engage the flange upon said member to hold the same firmly in position upon the body.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANKLIN RIGHTh IIRE. lVitnesses:

AOKERMAN G. OATMAN, DANIEL VAN VVRIDDE. 

